WpN Buys Reflex News

World Picture Network has acquired the New York-based editorial photo agency Reflex News for an undisclosed sum. Reflex News founder Carlo Montali (pictured) has joined WpN as editorial director and minority owner.

The move closely follows the departure of WpN co-founders Seamus Conlan and his wife, Tara Farrell, who founded the company in London in 2001.

Shortly after Conlan and Farrell moved the company to New York in 2004 the agency reportedly received more than a $1 million in investment funds. But despite building an experienced team of editors and contributing photographers, the agency has had a tough time competing against bigger foes like Getty Images and Corbis for what seems like an ever-shrinking piece of pie: the editorial photography market.

Montali brings international experience to WpN, having grown up in France speaking fluent French and Italian. He started Reflex in 1998 primarily as an outlet for European photo editors to work in the U.S. In a recent interview, Montali said one of his early selling points was customer service; Reflex offered European editors a comfortable environment where they could converse in their native language.

Despite being largely a one-man operation, the agency grew and evolved over the years. Around 2000, for reasons Montali to this day can't quite explain, the agency started to work largely with conflict photographers. Suddenly Reflex had photographers in Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan and Liberia, and credits in the New York Times and top weekly magazines.

Montali grew the representation side of the business to include the Boston Herald and its main conflict photographer, Kuni Takahashi, who won a World Press Photo award in 2003 for his work in Liberia.

But Montali was forced to scale back his conflict coverage as the war in Iraq became more dangerous for journalists. "If you don't have as an agency the resources to protect your guys, you couldn't ask him to go to these places," Montali says, citing the thousands of dollars it takes for war zone insurance, flak jackets, safety gear and the like.

Without financial backers, Montali began to realize he needed to either close the agency or look for a partner or buyer. That led to meetings with WpN, which is now run by CEO Brian Miller, who is described on the company's website as having "25 years experience as a lender, financial advisor and investor."

Montali says he's excited about the team already assembled at WpN, which includes senior photo editor Patrick Whalen, formerly of Getty Images' news division and before that Liaison; and multimedia editor Paul Kwiatkowski, among others.

"When you see WpN you'll see a very young staff, very qualified and reactive," Montali says. "The first thing that's important to me when I saw WpN was the quality of the images."

Montali says WpN won't try to cover everything, but apart from developing its strengths – conflict photography and social issues – there are also plans to build an entertainment division. Kwiatkowski is working with WpN's photographers to produce multimedia packages, a growing if not yet mature market.

So far Reflex's main partner, MAAN News Agency, a Palestinian agency started with E.U. funding, has agreed to move to WpN, as have some of Reflex's key contributors. Montali says he is talking with each of his photographers in an attempt to bring them into the WpN fold.

In the days ahead WpN will still face enormous challenges, but the new leadership and energy at the top should help settle some of the rumors about the agency's future and the commitment from its owners.

"The only thing that unites us all is that we love what we do," Montali says.

- Jay DeFoore